Sulur (

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

:) is a town located in the

Coimbatore district Coimbatore district is one of the 38 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is the administrative headquarters of the district. It is one of the most industrialized districts and a major textile, industrial, commercial, educ ...

of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a suburb of

Coimbatore Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...

. It is the headquarters of

Sulur Taluk Sulur taluk is a taluk of Coimbatore district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters is the town of Sulur. This revenue block consist of 41 revenue villages. Demographics According to the 2011 census, the taluk of Sulur had a popul ...

. There are many market places and many big retail and wholesale shops are available and also taluk office,

police station A police station (sometimes called a "station house" or just "house") is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, al ...

, and a famous RVS institutions consisting of medical college, arts college is there in Sulur. And also two big famous temples are there. It is also a taluk (

Sulur taluk Sulur taluk is a taluk of Coimbatore district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The headquarters is the town of Sulur. This revenue block consist of 41 revenue villages. Demographics According to the 2011 census, the taluk of Sulur had a popul ...

) and legislative constituency (

Sulur (state assembly constituency) Sulur ( ta, சூலூர்) is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Its State Assembly Constituency number is 116. It comprises the Town Panchayat of Irugur, Kannampalayam, Mopperipalayam, Pallapala ...

) which comes under the Coimbatore parliamentary constituency.

Demographics

India

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

, Sulur had a population of 24,359 - Though this census is considered inaccurate. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Sulur has an average

literacy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, huma ...

rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 72%. 9% of the

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

in Sulur are

children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...

below the age of 6 years.

Etymology

Sulur was called Suralur until the ninth century and from the ninth century to fourteenth century it was called Ariyapirati Nallur, during the regime of Aditya Cholan. Until the eighteenth century, it was called Sundrapandiya Nallur, during the regime of Sundra Pandiyan. From eighteenth century it was called Suranur, which in due course got transformed to Sulur. There are several theories for this name; it may be for a type of

Sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

, Sural, Suranoor.

Geography

Sulur is located at . It has an average elevation of 340 metres (1115 feet). Sulur is regarded as a pleasant town situated very close to the cities of

"Manchester of South India" (19 km) and Tirupur (35 km). Thus it is a popular location for various

textile mills Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods s ...

and

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...

slots. Near to Sulur there is a railway station and an Air Force base. The twin lakes to the north of the town, bounding the Coimbatore-Nagapattinam highway adds a scenic view to the town. The town is divided into two parts by the holy Noyyal River. Sulur is the East-end of the new

History

The history of Sulur dates back to around 2300 years ago. Ancient coin of Eran dating back to third century BC have been found at Sulur.Ceramic Traditions in South India; S.Gurumurthy; University of Madras; 1981;page 21 During the ninth century AD, Aditya Cholan introduced agriculture in Sulur. The Sulur Reservoir was constructed during the reign of Adithya Chola. The Sulur pond was reconstructed in thirteenth century during the rule of Sundra Pandian. The Megalithic pottery ulur dishdating back to first century has been found in archeological digs at Sulur and is currently in display at the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

(No:1935.4-19.15). The inscriptions on the pottery might even be from the harappa civilization. During the Vijanagara Period, most of the Kannada and Telugu people settled in Sulur. Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu (India)

Education

Sulur is very rich with respect to

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

. There are several Educational Institutions in and around Sulur which nourishes the knowledge base of Coimbatore District as a whole. Few of them are: * Young India Public School http://yips.in/ *RVS Dental College and Hospital, Kumaran Kottam Campus, Kannampalayam, Sulur, Coimbatore * MDN Future School - http://www.mdnfutureschoolsulur.com/ * C.S.I Elementary School (Formerly London Mission School) - 1913 * Govt Boys Higher Secondary School * Govt Girls Higher Secondary School * Kennedy Matriculation Higher Secondary School * Kalaivani Matriculation School * Kendriya Vidyalaya, Air Force Station, Sulur * RVS Matriculation Higher Secondary School * Michael Job Matriculation School * Kovai Maruthamali Matriculation School * Kids Club (Kindergarten/Primary) school * Fun Kids Play Centre for Kids * Central School Sulur * Anugraha Mandhir CBSE School The Govt Boys Higher Secondary School was established in 1889 as Thiruvengadanathar Upper Primary School. Over many years, the school has grown to the status of a higher secondary school. Its chronological progress is listed below: * April 1925 - Taluk Board Higher Elementary School, * June 1926 - Zilla Board Middle School * June 1938 - Union, Kalagam Board Secondary School * July 1962 - Union, Kalagam Board Boys Secondary School * January 1966 - Govt Boys Secondary School * July 1978 - Govt Boys Higher Secondary School. The Girls high school started in July 1962 with 224 students. Its inauguration was attended by the then

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu The chief minister of Tamil Nadu is the chief executive of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with th ...

, Mr. Bhaktavasalam. All the colleges in Sulur are run by the RVS group (Rathnavel Subramaniam group).

Agriculture and industries

Sulur has many cotton mills that provide employment to approximately 5,000 to 10,000 people from the surrounding area. Many of the people who cannot continue their studies after school join these mills and the knitwear companies of Tirupur. The local market (Sulur Sandhai ) opens near the banks of Sulur river every Friday. People from Sulur and the nearby villages gather here and sell their produce. In addition to (Sulur Sandhai ) there is another market which is open daily in the morning and evening called as (Uzhavar Sandhai ), near to Balaji Hospital on Trichy Road. Market opens early in the morning and caters for retail and wholesale buyers.

Transport

Sulur is well connected by

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

and rail. Sulur Road railway station (code SUU) is in Muthugoundan Pudur, 3 km apart from Sulur. The nearest International airport is in

Peelamedu Peelamedu is a major commercial centre and residential locality in the Eastern part of the city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. It is governed by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation since 1981. The growth of Peelamedu during the last de ...

Coimbatore International Airport , which is about 16 km from Sulur. Buses connect Sulur to most of the nearby villages.The Trichy Road ( NH81) runs through Sulur.

Culture

The people of Sulur are known for their hospitality. The ' Thai Pongal Vizha' (

Pongal Pongal may refer to: * Pongal (festival), an annual Tamil festival * Pongal (dish) Pongal, also known as pongali or huggi, is an Indian rice dish. In Tamil, "pongal" means "boil" or "bubbling up". The two varieties of pongal are ''chakarai pong ...

Festival) conducted in Sulur is very popular. This Pongal Vizha is conducted at "Anna Kalaiarangam" a common area in Sulur where many celebrations and get-togethers are held. It is an annual event which encourages people from all ages to participate in a variety of games and events. It also serves as a platform for young children to show their hidden talents.

Administration

Sulur is administered by the elected Panchayat Body headed by the President. Sulur also is the headquarters of the newly created

. Earlier, Sulur and adjacent areas were part of Palladam taluk of the undivided Coimbatore district. The carving of eastern parts of Coimbatore district into Tirupur district has caused to form the new Taluk headquartered at Sulur. * The Sulur Panchayat board started functioning on 30 August 1892. * The Sulur

came into existence in 1861 during the British rule. Until 1920, the police station was near the girls' high school. After that it got shifted to Trichy road. * The Registrar Office opened on 1 January 1884. * The

Electricity board Public electricity suppliers (PES) were the fourteen electricity companies created in Great Britain when the electricity market in the United Kingdom was privatised following the Electricity Act 1989. The Utilities Act 2000 subsequently split the ...

opened in Sulur on 1 November 1933, and the

Telephone Exchange A telephone exchange, telephone switch, or central office is a telecommunications system used in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or in large enterprises. It interconnects telephone subscriber lines or virtual circuits of digital syst ...

opened on 31 July 1961. * The Sulur

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

was opened in June 1882. * The Sulur Telegram Office opened on1 February 1948 in the today's post office. * The Sulur UNIT- RTO Office (TN-37Z) opened on JUNE 2013(vehicles registered under TN-37-CZ, CY, CX series belongs to this RTO). * The Cooperative Movement in Sulur started in 1911. * On 22 February 2009

was formed and started functioning while bifurcating

Air Force Station Sulur

Sulur Air Force Station operated by the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

is located at Kangayampalayam village near Sulur. This Air base was established in the year 1940 by RN of the then

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

. This was a strategic base during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm: "Royal Navy Air Squadron"(RNAS). This base was used as repair base for Southeast Asian planes. The Sulur Airfield which was used by the British, was burned down on 26 August 1942 during the 1942 August

Quit India Movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...

to overthrow the

British empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

from Indian soil. In 1943, the Royal Indian Airforce (RIAF) came to Sulur, which later got shifted to Cochin in 1949. After gaining independence, the Indian Navy established INAS Hansa at this place to operate the Sea Hawks. Following the liberation of

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

, INAS Hansa shifted to

Dabolim Dabolim is a village, with a total population of around 6700, in Mormugão, Goa, India. It is located about 30 km from the state capital Panjim, 23 km from the South Goa district headquarters Margão and 5 kilometres from Vas ...

there and Sulur was taken over by the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

. In 1955, the 5BRD (No 5, Base Repair Depot) of

was planned and it started functioning in 1959. For some time this

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

was also used for civil aviation. Since 14 January 1984 the airfield has been a part of the Indian Air Force. The runway was used for racing motorcycle and cars in the 1960s. Sulur airbase is also being developed for hosting Tejas LCA by 2014–15.

Religion

Sulur has numerous temples, of which, ''Perumal Kovil'', ''Vaitheeswaran Kovil'', and ''Mahakaliamman Kovil'' are very popular. Perumal Kovil and Eswaran Kovil are situated on the banks of Sulur Lake. It also has the famous Kumaran Kottam temple, Sulur Tirupathi and Bagavathi constructed by RVS group of institutions. The Perumalkovil (Perumal temple) was constructed during the 15th century during the Vijayanagar regime. In Perumal Kovil, 'pepper' is given to devotees which is not done in any other Venkateshwara temple. The myth behind this is that a merchant was travelling through the forests of Sulur to go to nearby town to sell his food items. Night descended and so he decided to take rest in the temple. When he was about to sleep, a god appeared before him in the form of a poor farmer and asked him if he had anything to eat. The merchant told that he had nothing except pepper in all his bags which could not be eaten. So the god said "ok" and left the place. The next day when he woke up, to his surprise he found all his bags contained pepper. Then he realized the person who came the previous day was not an ordinary man but the god Balaji. He immediately went before the statue and cried for forgiveness. Balaji appeared before him and told that he would be forgiven if he renovated the temple and the temple gave out pepper to all of his worshippers from that day forth. The Sulur Sivankovil (

Sivan ''Sivan'' (Hebrew: סִיוָן, Standard ''Sīvan'', Tiberian ''Sīwān''; from Akkadian ''simānu'', meaning "Season; time") is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a mo ...

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

) was constructed in the 9th century during the rule of Adithya Cholan. The Masjid at Sulur was constructed in the 18th century. The land and the funds for the Masjid were donated by

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...

. Apart from temples and mosques there are also

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and London mission (Latterly C.S.I) Lutheran churches in the town of Sulur. There are many

Pentecostal Churches Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementBogampatti * Chinnakuyili * Sencherimalai * Kalangal-Land of Peace *Periyakuyili *Ponnakkani *Ravatur *Vadambacheri *Sultanpet *Selliya Goundan Pudur *Kadampadi * Kangeyempalayam *Arasur * Muthugoundenpudhur * Kaniyur *K.madhapur *Rasipalayam *

Neelambur Neelambur is a suburb in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu. Neelambur is situated in the Eastern Part of Coimbatore. Neelambur is also the East-End of Coimbatore City. Neelambur lies on the Junction of Avinashi Road Avinashi Road, is an arteri ...

*Mylampatti * Chinniyampalayam *Kalangal

References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Coimbatore district Suburbs of Coimbatore